diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a014e786b0..f24b24048d 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ install="install"
 objcopy="objcopy"
 ld="ld"
 helper_cflags=""
+libs_softmmu=""
 
 # parse CC options first
 for opt do
@@ -1763,7 +1764,7 @@ echo "HELPER_CFLAGS=$helper_cflags" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "LDFLAGS=$LDFLAGS" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "ARLIBS_BEGIN=$arlibs_begin" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "ARLIBS_END=$arlibs_end" >> $config_host_mak
-echo "LIBS=$LIBS" >> $config_host_mak
+echo "LIBS+=$LIBS" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "EXESUF=$EXESUF" >> $config_host_mak
 
 echo "/* Automatically generated by configure - do not modify */" > $config_host_h
@@ -2008,6 +2009,7 @@ if test "$target_bigendian" = "yes" ; then
 fi
 if test "$target_softmmu" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_SOFTMMU=y" >> $config_mak
+  echo "LIBS+=$libs_softmmu" >> $config_mak
 fi
 if test "$target_user_only" = "yes" ; then
   echo "CONFIG_USER_ONLY=y" >> $config_mak